| A taxonomic treatment is presented for the Primulaceae of the Great Plains. It includes keys, descriptions, flowering periods, distribution maps and synonyms for each taxa recognized. In the present treatment 8 genera, 15 species, 2 varieties, and 1 form are recognized. The 18 taxa are: Anagallis arvensis L. f. arvensis, Anagallis arvensis L. f. caerulea (Schreb.) Baumg., Androsace occidentalis Pursh, Androsace septentrionalis L. var. puberulenta (Rydb.) Knuth., Centunculus minimus L., Dodecatheon meadia L. var. meadia, Dodecatheon meadia L. var. brachycarpum (Small) Fassett, Dodecatheon pulchellum (Raf.) Merr., Glaux maritima L., Lysimachia ciliata L., Lysimachia hybrida Michx., Lysimachia nummularia L., Lysimachia quadriflora Sims., Lysimachia thyrsiflora L., Primula incana M.E. Jones, Samolus cunaetus Small, and Samolus parviflorus Raf.; Lysimachia section Seleucia is represented by three species in the Great Plains; L. ciliata, L. hybrida and L. quadriflora. The morphological characters of petiole length, petiole pubescence and leaf width will satisfactorily separate the three taxa involved.; Two species of Samolus, S. cuneatus and S. ebracteatus have been recognized as occurring in the Great Plains in the past. The present study recognized only one species, S. cuneatus as occurring in the area. This conclusion is based on examination of type specimens and the associated morphological description. The discriminant analysis procedure placed all the Samolus specimens from the Great Plains in Samolus cuneatus. This help supports the idea that only one species should be recognized and the name S. ebracteatus has been misapplied to the Great Plains plants of Oklahoma.; The genus Dodecatheon section Dodecatheon is represented by two species in the Great Plains, D. pulchellum, and D. meadia with var. meadia and var. brachycarpum. The species D. pulchellum has been variously treated. In this study the morphological characters of anther length and filament length and their ratio showed no separation graphically, so it appears that it is unjustified to separate into two species, D. pulchellum and D. pauciflorum based on those characters which have been used in the past. The species D. pulchellum is the recognized species name in the area with D. radicatum and D. pauciflorum as synonyms.; The genus Andosace is represented by two species in the Great Plains; A. occidentalis and A. septentrionalis var. puberulenta. The morphological characters of bract length and bract width will satisfactorily separate the species involved, but is of no value in separation of varieties of A. septentrionalis. The characters of value in variety separation are pubescence and characteristics of the calyx; tube length, lobe length, ratio of the tube length/lobe length. The plants of A. septentrionalis from South Dakota possessed character of two varieties, var. puberulenta and var. subulifera. The discriminant analysis procedure was used to see if the varieties would be separated statistically. The procedure placed most of the South Dakota plants in var. puberulenta where they would be placed using classical techniques. |
